Lift assists are used to assist movement of one component relative to another component. In one example, the lift assist is used to assist lifting and rotating a vehicle hood relative to the remaining portions of the motor vehicle.
Springs in the lift assist mechanism are sometimes used to counter-balance loads. The springs can cause the vehicle hood to bounce during the lifting and rotating. Some lift assists utilize smaller springs to avoid more severe bouncing. The smaller springs do not counter-balance the load as effectively as larger springs. Some lift assists rely on external dampers. Overcoming the damping forces is sometimes difficult.